Photo by Jeff Miller Photography

In one of the state's largest union elections in decades, 5,500 home care providers overwhelmingly voted 'yes' to unite in SEIU.

"I love my work and I put my clients first," said home care provider Odessa Robinson of Wasau. "And there are thousands of home care providers in Wisconsin that feel the same way as me: we want to see our work improve. That's why I voted to join with SEIU."

Odessa and her fellow home care workers knocked on doors and made phone calls to talk to other home care providers about joining with SEIU. "I knew we had to unite our voices if we were going to have any strength," she said.

Wisconsin home care providers join home care workers in more than 10 other states - including 12,000 Missouri home care workers who announced this week they also joined with SEIU to improve the quality of care available to consumers.

Other states with SEIU home care workers include California, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Massachusetts and Washington. Across the country, home care worker unions have helped establish training programs, started registries to connect consumers with qualified home care workers and won increased funding for home care services while fighting budget cuts that would force thousands of consumers out of home care and into nursing homes.

Take a minute to check out this amazing photo gallery of our new sisters and brothers.